Imatges de pàgina
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First, then sinners, justly, honestly, survey your situation. View it by the light of your own practice. View it by the light of revelation. Only admit truth, and your fatal self deceivings and thoughtlessness will be scattered. Facts will show you, whether your necessity of escaping, be not most urgent. Your perceiving no danger, is far from proving, that there is none. In spiritual things, none are so ready to say, Lo, we see,' as the spiritually blind.. Are we blind also has in every age, been the proud reply of the impious, when self condemning truths were told them. Divine things are spiritually discerned.' To the man, who both by nature and confirmed habit, is blind, they are, therefore, foolishness. Considering what your hearts naturally are, your false opinions about your own safety, are not surprising; though they are lamentable, and ought to be alarming.

But be the question again asked: What is the situation from which it is your duty to escape? Not that of entire dependence on God-living, moving, and having your being, in him: Not that of existing always under the direct inspection of his eye: Not that of trial, in this world, for an unchanging eternity to come: Not that of infinite obligation to love, and honor and obey him with all your heart: Not that of the strictest responsibility to him, for every exercise of the soul, and for every deed of the hands and tongue : Not that of certainty, that you shall be, one day, summoned to receive, at his hand, your endless inheritance of pleasure or of pain, according to the right or the wrong use, which you will then be found to have made of the talents that he gave you to occupy for himself: In a word; Not that of the relation you bear to him, as your maker, preserver, benefactor, lawgiver and judge.

It is in itself, altogether desirable to be situated, as you are, in all these respects, with relation to a being infinitely wise, and great and good. Your escape, from this situation, is neither required, nor possible.

But the dangerous situation, in which you are, and which you ought instantly to forsake, is that of opposition in your hearts, to the living and true God. The evil is moral. It has in it, exceeding criminality. The charge is, therefore, serious and awful. It is a charge of rebellion against the greatest and best of beings of transgressing laws perfectly good-of involving yourselves in the guilty forfeiture of every favor, and of bringing upon your souls, by your own choice, the displeasure of him, who is at once omnipotent and unchangeable. Such is the charge. Dare you plead not guilty? Dare you say, It is not true,' while you know, that you live irreligiously; while you know, that you love and serve and trust the creature, rather than the creator."

If you deny this charge of opposition, in heart, to God, behold witnesses summoned from your practice; from your own bosom; to prove the truth. What testimony, shewing that your situation, as God beholds you, is dangerous, because criminal, is borne by your exercises of heart towards your neighbor? God requires you to love your neighbor as yourself. And your conscience testifies, that the law is good.

Let then your envy of your neighbour; your jealous feelings, your malicious purposes, your revengeful wishes, speak. Let your covetousness of what is lawfully his; your secret rejoicings at his disappointments and distresses; your vile affections, all speak. These, sinners, are the exercises of your hearts towards your neighbor. Excuse not yourselves, nor attempt your justification, by saying, we never allow ourselves to act out these feelings and wishes.' Remember that in God's sight, every exercise of the heart is an action, either good or bad, and that for it as such, you are solemnly answerable. See then, how entirely your feelings and wishes of heart, tọwards your neighbor condemn you.

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But do your hearts treat the living God any better than they treat your neighbor? He rightly requires you to love him with the whole heart. You now stand charged with the violation of this commandment. An indictment is found. You are arraigned at the bar. Do you deny the charge? Let witnesses again declare. Let the testimony, on which the verdict shall be found, be brought from your feelings, and manner of life towards God.

Let the motives, with which you ever engage in religious service, either open or secret, speak. They will declare, that either supposed worldly advanta ges or a slavish fear, bring you before God in all the forms of religion, which you ever observe. Let the hope of worldly advantages, and a servile fear cease, and God would receive nothing more of your formal respect. Your outward manner of life would then express the same thing which your hearts have always said unto God: 'Depart from us; for we desire not a knowledge of thy ways.'

But the trial is not through. Let your neglect of God's word; or your perversion of its meaning to make it suit the wishes of the irreligious heart, speak.. Let your ungodly manner of spending the Lord's sabbaths; time which he has consecrated, and which you know, that he has commanded you to remember and keep holy, speak. Let your ingratitude for his favours; let your murmurings when his wisdom sees it not best to gratify your personal wishes; let your idolatrous attachment to created things, speak. Let your supreme care to lay up for yourselves treasures on the earth; to set your affections on things that are beneath; to look, wholly at the things which are seen and temporal,' all speak. Let the offence which your hearts take at the thought of keeping near to God, by habitual prayer and devotion; let the im possibility you find of conceiving how there can be happiness in the life of piety; let your resistance of

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God's word and providence and spirit; let your increased hardness of heart against him; your increased aversion to the devout and humble life, amidst the kindest instructions and warnings which it is possible for him to give, or you to receive; let your rejection of his beloved Son, whom in the exercise of boundless love, he has sent into the world for its salvation; yes, let your wishes of heart, that there were no such God; or if there must be such a being, that your dependence upon him, and relation to him may be dissolved forever; let all these exercises of your hearts and these practices of your life, pronounce on your situation.

Their verdict is clear, and instantly made up. Your manner of passing through your probationary life, is that of enemies, not friends to God; that of rebels against him; not of subjects loyal and affectionate to his government. But can such a situation be otherwise than dangerous? Opposed to the being on whom you depend, disgusted with all the holy services which he requires; as far from him, as possible, in all your affections and conduct; continually setting up his rivals in your hearts, and paying them your homage; bestowing upon them your love; must you not be objects of his righteous, but tremendous indignation? Thus your own hearts and practice condemn you. And recollect, if your own hearts condemn you, God is greater than your hearts, and knoweth all things,' discerns incalculably more of your wickedness and danger, than you now perceive. All this rebellion is against a Being infinitely good. All these iniquities are violations of infinite obligation. They are transgressions of laws, obedience to which, renders all the obedient blessed. They are a manner of life eternally inconsistent with real happiness.

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What then, can be plainer than the danger of your situation as sinners, and the duty of immediately escaping! You have now been called to view your sit

uation by the light of your own feelings and practice.

But Secondly, your situation must be seen by revealed light. What does the Searcher of hearts tell you, that your real situation is? Hear O heavens, and give ear, O earth, I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me.' That same rebellion, against the living God, is here charged upon you, which is proved by all your practice.

He himself tells you, that all who reject him, are in his sight wicked. The disobedient are condemned already,' before him.

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If you have not, in the habitual exercises of your hearts, a religious regard to God; a religious fear of his displeasure at every manner of life not pious and heavenly; a religious love of him as infinitely pure and holy; a religious affection for all his known commandments; you are, in his sight, wicked. And he tells you, that he is angry with the wicked every day. Now what can you need ntore to convince you of tremendous danger in your situation, than to know that God looks down upon you with displeasure? What further proof can be necessary, that escaping from your present situation, is your first-your most important duty?

He also assures you, that while you continue unre newed, in the disposition of your souls, to a supreme love of himself and his service, you are treasuring up unto yourselves, wrath against the day of wrath.' No language can more strongly prove the danger of your condition, while unholy. To lay up by an ungodly temper of heart, to lay up as in a treasury, stores of wrath; the wrath too, of him, who is your final and omnipotent Judge, must surely be a most dangerous method of using your talents, your understanding and strength. So long, therefore, as you are doing this, you ought with fear and trembling to remember, that your situation is one, from which every consideration of duty and safety requires you instantly to escape,

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